<p>I'm looking to get a general idea of how I might do on the real LSAT, which I won't take until June 2011. I've read that you should take the first practice LSAT untimed to get a somewhat realistic score. I will be taking either a Kaplan or Testmasters course in the Spring. So what say you? Timed or untimed for the first practice test? Remember, I am trying to get a picture of how I might do on the real deal.</p>
<p>I got the same question!</p>
<p>Take it timed.</p>
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<p>Why? What purpose does that serve this early? At this point it’s much more important to understand what your slow points are on the test – you’re getting a “diagnostic” to organize your study plans.</p>
<p>If you insist on some kind of projection, take your diagnostic and add 10-15 points to it. Or take your SAT M+V, divide by 21, and add 101.</p>
<p>Thanks bluedevilmike, that really helps. I should probably get the basics down, too, before I decide to go timed.</p>
<p>No – whenever you are simulating test conditions, you should always do it timed. The rhythm of the test is one of the most important things to practice. It’s a crucial element of figuring out what you need to work on.</p>
<p>Personally, I thought getting a realistic diagnostic test was a good motivator for me. And showed me what I was in for. I did worse than I expected to and that has fueled me throughout the summer. And on my last practice test I did 15 points better than the my cold diagnostic. But if you are going to do a cold diagnostic it needs to be timed under realistic conditions. Call the kaplan center and schedule a diagnostic, they will do it for you free if you say you are interested in their course.</p>
<p>Thanks Patriot and Bluedevil. I had been taking some “diagnostics” on an LSAT app; I just now realized that a real diagnostic consists of about 15 Q’s per section. I didn’t take the SAT, so that’s a no-go since I know the ACT doesn’t correlate very well with the SAT. I’ll take you guys’ advice.</p>
<p>? A real diagnostic is the same length as an actual, full-length LSAT exam.</p>
<p>Jake, that is wrong. A diagnostic is just a practice test under strict timed conditions. This means 5 sections at 35 minutes a section with between 24-28 questions per section. If you call the kaplan center they will probably give you preptest 55 or 56 for your diagnostic. These are real tests that have been administered as past LSAT’s in the past several years.</p>
<p>OK, well I’ve run into a slight problem then since I just took a shorter Kaplan ‘diagnostic’. Seriously, google “diagnostic lsat test” and a short Kaplan test is the third link down. That’s the one I just took, anyway…</p>
<p>So, I came back on to see if you guys could try to guess where I might be able to score on my real LSAT that I’ll take next June (after a Spring kaplan/testmasters course). I scored in the 145-149 range on my cold full-length diagnostic, administered by Kaplan, that I took last summer. Just now I took this shorter diagnostic (15 minutes per section) and scored a 160. I’ve done minimal studying in the mean time. My worst section, just now, was the logical reasoning (games section), in which I scored 5/11. It needs work, I know. But I’ve heard that this section can be learned and improved upon. If I attend every class, do all the homework, and focus especially on the logical reasoning, do you think a 165-166 is realistic? I averaged 82% on the rest of this test, which translates to about a 165 LSAT score. I think I can improve the logical reasoning (games section) substantially. Will I have enough time to do this?</p>
<p>PS
Just to clarify: I don’t know how “cold” people usually take their first diagnostic, but I purposely took it when I first started considering law school as an option toward the end of my freshman year of undergrad. I went in not even knowing what the LSAT would cover, how it would ask it, or how it was timed. I got the impression others took practice tests at least knowing how the LSAT was structured. I don’t know how much weight I should give to the original 145-149 score.</p>
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<p>No, that’s a correctly administered “cold” LSAT. The LSAT takes like a month to study for, so if you’re taking it next June you’re going to be totally fine. Games is the easy one to improve.</p>
<p>I would give no weight to something that comprises 40 questions or so. Try taking another full-length diagnostic if you really insist on getting your bearings, but generally I wouldn’t worry about it just yet. There’s no need for a projection.</p>
<p>If you insist on one, the most accurate way to get it is probably based on your SAT score. (Not very accurate.) Apparently your undergrad’s mean ACT is about a 27, which translates to roughly a 1200, which translates to roughly a 160 or so. Give or take a few points, and 165 is a good starting projection.</p>
<p>Ya, I wouldn’t put much weight in that because of some of the biggest problems people run into are fatigue and timing. </p>
<p>Anyways if you are taking a class they will give you tests throughout and you should take advantage of the fact they will give you other tests for free. Really, I suggest taking a solid 20 or so practice tests before the real one. Anyways, it’s too early for you to be worrying about it now, start studying hard 3-4 months before the test. </p>
<p>And is it possible for you to improve? Of course. I had a 159 cold and am now after three months of studying am scoring between 171-175 consistently, with an average of 172.</p>